As the wedding processional concluded, the wedding ceremony ca to an end, leaving behind the customary feasting and celebration.
Shizuka, feeling angered by her parents and Hachiman, channeled her frustration into a hearty al, consuming voraciously.
Hachiman, in turn, elevated the image of Shizuka's parents. Upon learning that their daughter had found a young and wealthy boyfriend, relatives and friends ca to congratulate them, and the elderly couple reveled in the joy.
In the past, during such gatherings, Shizuka's parents hesitated to ntion their daughter, as it was an embarrassnt. Despite being the most prosperous branch of the family, having an unmarried daughter nearing thirty was a sore point.
This ti was different. With the rare appearance of a perfect "prospective son-in-law," they held their heads high. Observing Hachiman's deanor, which exuded success, Mrs. and Mr. Hiratsuka were highly content.
They decided to investigate Hachiman's background to verify his claims. If he turned out to be as perfect as he portrayed, he would indeed be an ideal son-in-law.
Observing Shizuka engrossed in her own al, oblivious to her surroundings, the elderly couple shook their heads.
"Shizuka!" Mrs. Hiratsuka called out to her daughter with so displeasure.
"Huh?"
Shizuka, enjoying her al, turned in confusion upon hearing her mother's call.
"Why are you only focused on eating?" Mrs. Hiratsuka questioned, a mix of frustration and amusent evident.
"What else should I do?" Shizuka looked puzzled.
"Don't you know how to help Hachiman with the dishes? You're already grown up. Do I need to teach you?" Mrs. Hiratsuka displayed a sowhat stern expression.
Shizuka nonchalantly rolled her eyes. "He's a grown man; does he need to serve him?"
Unconcerned with her mother's words, she dismissed, "I won't be the one to feed him."
Fearing her mother might insist on such gestures, Shizuka remained resolute. She sensed that her parents were treating Hachiman as a son-in-law, and certain boundaries had to be maintained. After all, she was his teacher.
Mrs. Hiratsuka was about to reprimand her when Hachiman interjected with a smile. "It's alright, Auntie. I appreciate Shizu's straightforwardness. I prefer serving myself."
"Alright, this child of ours has been spoiled. Hachiman, please take care of her," Mrs. Hiratsuka remarked.
Hachiman agreed with a smile.
However, Shizuka didn't expect Hachiman to speak up and defuse the situation for her. She subtly gave him a look of "you know your place."
"Mom, I think Hachiman might not be interested in these dishes. His cooking skills are even more impressive than those recent graduates from far-off culinary schools."
"Oh? I didn't realize Hachiman was skilled in cooking." Mrs. Hiratsuka's eyes lit up.
Cooking prowess was always a plus, and especially in a country like Japan where traditional gender roles were prevalent, few n outside of professional chefs ventured into the kitchen.
Upon hearing Mrs. Hiratsuka's praise, Hachiman modestly smiled. "I have an interest in cooking, so I enjoy experinting. Also, with my parents being busy with work and a younger sister to take care of, I naturally beca adept at it over ti."
"I see. Taking care of a younger sister alone must be quite challenging," Mrs. Hiratsuka sighed.
"It's manageable. My sister is well-behaved, so I'm at ease most of the ti."
A vision of Komachi's adorable smile crossed his mind, bringing a smile to Hachiman's face.
"Enough about that; let's enjoy the al."
The wedding feast continued, and at the mont, the priority was to satisfy their appetites before Shizuka devoured all the dishes on her own.
At three in the afternoon, as the guests dispersed, the wedding banquet finally ca to an end. During this ti, Hachiman was pulled by Mr. Hiratsuka to share a few drinks. However, given his current constitution, a bit of alcohol posed no challenge.
Seeing the wedding concluded, Shizuka finally breathed a sigh of relief, ready to make a quick exit with Hachiman.
"Mom, Dad, since the wedding is over, we'll head back now."
However, Mrs. Hiratsuka wasn't about to let her off so easily.
"Why the rush? Shizuka, you've co back after a long ti; stay at ho for the night. Mom has so things to discuss with you."
Shizuka, not keen on staying, hesitated in her attempts to decline.
"Well... we have other matters to attend to tomorrow, so let's skip staying tonight."
Unfortunately, Mrs. Hiratsuka had already seen through her little tricks. "Just staying for one night won't hurt. Tomorrow is the weekend anyway; if you have things to handle in the afternoon, it won't be too late."
"Uh, this..."
Shizuka was at a loss, despite her authoritative deanor at school; facing her mother, she imdiately felt cornered. Unable to find a way out, she turned to Hachiman for help with a pleading look.
But Hachiman's next words left her wide-eyed.
"Sounds good, Auntie. I actually have so things to discuss with both you and Uncle."
Hachiman understood that any set of parents wouldn't easily entrust their daughter to a man with unknown background. The warmth they showed during the banquet was likely just to save face in front of relatives.
Now that the wedding was over and the relatives dispersed, he believed Shizuka's parents would start investigating his identity.
Rather than being exposed during an investigation, he decided it was better to confess proactively, gaining more control over the situation.
Shizuka was astonished when Hachiman agreed to stay. She quickly pulled him aside.
"Hey... you brat, what are you up to? Didn't we agree to leave after the wedding?"
"If we don't leave soon, we'll be exposed."
Shizuka naively thought her parents genuinely believed them.
Seeing her reaction, Hachiman smirked, but his face displayed a confident smile.
"Don't worry, leave everything to . If this goes smoothly, won't you be free from your parents pressuring you into blind dates in the future?"
"Really?!"
Hearing this, Shizuka's face showed a mix of belief and skepticism.
Originally, in her plan, she intended to kick Hachiman out as soon as they got back. If her parents asked, she would simply say they had broken up.
However, the consequence of following this plan was that she would likely still be pressured into blind dates by her parents, and she definitely didn't want that.
But now, Hachiman unexpectedly claid he could spare her from the hassle of future blind dates. Of course, she was willing to give it a try.
"Alright, I'll trust you this ti." Seeing the confident smile on Hachiman's face, Shizuka chose to believe him and agreed.
"Mom, we'll stay at ho tonight."
Hearing Shizuka's agreent, Mrs. Hiratsuka also smiled.
"Sure, let's go. We'll head ho together."
They called for their family car, and the group boarded it together.
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